A Look at Legendary Bridles, Part 3: Relics

We have already taken a general overview of bridles, as well as a look at legacies. Now it is time to look at relics. Just as with other legendary items, you may enhance your bridle with up to four relics: a setting, a gem, a rune, and a crafted relic. The catch is that bridles do not use the same relics as other items.

You create crafted bridle relics in a similar fashion as you create crafted relics for other items.

For bridle settings, gems, and runes, you have a smaller set of options than you have for general relics. The most reliable means I have seen for obtaining non-crafted bridle relics is through melding them at a Relic Master. Some do occasionally drop from war band boxes but I have yet to personally see this. Alas, they do not drop as loot in instances or when you deconstruct a legendary item (not even when you deconstruct a bridle).

I must admit that I haven’t used the melding system all that much. As such, my minstrel reached level cap even before I gave serious thought to adding relics to a bridle. If I’m going to spend resources making a relic, it might as well be for an item that I’ll be keeping for more than the next two days (and no, I don’t make it a habit to use relic removal scrolls).

Crafted Relics

There are two types of crafted relics associated with bridles: Insignias and Emblems. While there are also Emblems for other legendary items, only bridles have Insignias at this time.

Crafted bridle relic recipes are only available through your crafting guild. As usual, you make an item for the guild and you barter that for the actual relic you want. You can also get Insignias through trade while Emblems are bound to the character that makes them. All guilds have the same bridle relics available.

Bridle Emblems

Bridle Emblems may only be equipped on a bridle with an equip level of at least 85 (the level cap as of this writing). You must place the emblem in the Crafted Relic slot of the bridle.

Crafting these relics requires a Compendium of Middle-earth Volume IV, which is available through the Prospector Resource Instance in Hytbold. The recipe has a seven-day cooldown and the relic is bound on acquisition.

There are a total of six bridle emblems. Each has the following bonuses:

• +600 Maximum War-steed Endurance
• +495 Maximum War-steed Power

In addition, each emblem has a third bonus depending on its type:

• Emblem of Acceleration          +10 War-steed Acceleration Rate
• Emblem of Agility                     +50 War-steed Agility
• Emblem of Armour                  +300 War-steed Armour
• Emblem of Strength                +50 War-steed Strength
• Emblem of the Rider               -25% Attack Duration
• Emblem of Turning                 +10 War-steed Turn Rate

Insignias

Bridles have a second crafted relic type (called Insignias) that works differently than other crafted relics. First, they are class-specific. Each class has a total of three insignias, thus giving us 27 insignias in all. Second, you can equip your insignia in any relic slot rather than just in the crated relic slot. This means you can have both an Emblem and an Insignia on the same legendary bridle (though you cannot have more than a single Insignia on a given bridle).

Below is a list of the Insignias currently available. Insignias may be placed on a bridle with an equip level of 80 or higher. Unlike Emblems, Insignias are tradable. The recipes to create them (or technically, to create the item you trade for them) have a three-day cool down.

Burglar

• Insignia of Strategic Force: +25% Strategic Strike Damage.
• Insignia of the Quick Wrist: 25% chance that using the Ride By skill will reset All in the Wrist.
• Insignia of Trickery: +10% Mounded Speed while using Trick: Strategem.

 

Captain

• Insignia of Free Speech: +25% chance that Oppressive Blow will reset your cries.
• Insignia of Resurgence: +25% Rally the Riders Healing.
• Insignia of Wrath: +10% Critical Hit Chance for Cry Wrath.

 

Champion

• Insignia of Boundless Fervour: 25% chance that Recuperate, Destabilizing Strike, and Horn Blast will not remove Fervour when used.
• Insignia of Mounted Precision: +10% critical chance for Sundering Strike.
• Insignia of Zealousness: Increases the duration of effects from Recuperate, Horn Blast, and Destabilizing Strikes by 1s for each Fervour that is removed.

 

Guardian

• Insignia of Driven Recovery: 25% chance that using the Driving Slash skill will reset Clash of Arms.
• Insignia of Maining: Increase the effects of Staggering Slash by 20%.
• Insignia of the Fighting Edge: +10% Critical Hit Chance for Rohan’s Edge.

 

Hunter

• Insignia of Deadly Precision: +10% critical chance for Noble Arrow.
• Insignia of Impact: +15% chance for Kill Shot to dismount of a critical hit.
• Insignia of Marksmanship: 25% chance that the bonuses provided by Establishing Shot will not be removed on a critical hit.

Lore Master

• Insignia of Nature: Meara- Lore will now affect two additional targets.
• Insignia of the Enduring Flame: +25% Enduing Embers Damage.
• Insignia of the Inspired: +15 chance for effects to proc while Sign of Power: Inspiration is active on a target.

 

Minstrel

• Insignia of Free Verse: -50% Ballad Cost.
• Insignia or Melodic Strikes: 25% chance for Hammer of Rohan to open access to Anthems and Codas.
• Insignia of Unchained Melody: 25% chance that codas will not consume ballads on use.

 

Rune-keeper

• Insignia of Ending: Performing Fixation will increase the critical chance of your next Resolution by 25%.
• Insignia of Inspiration: +2 Inspirational Verse pulses.
• Insignia of the Elements: Invoke the Elements will place a debuff on enemies that will increase all incoming damage by 3% for 10s.

 

Warden

• Insignia of the Eorlingas: +10% Player buff magnitude when using Assault of the Eorlingas, Roar of the Eorlingas, or Defence of the Eorlingas.
• Insignia of Persistence: +10s Skill of the Eorlingas buff duration.
• Insignia of the Steeled Mind: +10% critical chance for Clash of Steel and Will.

 

Settings, Gems, and Runes

For other bridle relics, we have three different tiers with three settings, three gems, and three runes at each tier. The three tiers are Basic, Unique, and Singular.

The most reliable way to get these relics is through melding. The basic relics are fairly inexpensive to make but they are likewise relatively weak. The unique relics are much more expensive but are also significantly more powerful. The singular relics are even more expensive and a little more powerful (but not enough so to tempt me to make them). The table below shows the costs for each relic type.

 

The Basic Relics have a minimum level of 75 and are relatively easy to make as they only cost 194 shards and any three T4 relics. The Unique Relics are significantly more powerful and likewise significantly more expensive. I only recommend the Singular relics for those who need the top-of-the line relics, as they cost twice as much as the Unique relics without being twice as powerful.

You can also get these relics from war band loot boxes. The third way to get them is through the Lotro Store. Unlike general relics, bridle relics do not drop as loot in skirmishes and are not generated when you deconstruct legendary items. I also have yet to see one as a quest reward.

 

Basic

Basic bridle relics are equivalent to Tier 4 general relics.

• Bridle Setting of Fortitude            +5 War-steed Strength
• Bridle Setting of Renewal             +84 in-Combat War-steed Endurance Regen
• Bridle Setting of Persistence        +200 Maximum War-steed Endurance
• Bridle Gem of Dexterity                +10 War-steed Agility
• Bridle Gem of Restoration           +72 in-Combat Power Regen
• Bridle Gem of Capacity                 +150 Maximum War-steed Power
• Bridle Rune of Avoidance             +125 War-steed Evade Rating
• Bridle Rune of Defence                 +100 War-steed Armour
• Bridle Rune of Momentum          +1 War-steed Acceleration Rate

 

Unique

In my first article, I didn’t have much of an appreciation for these relics. Now that I take a closer look, the do look really sweet in comparison to the basic relics. For example, the Bridle Setting of Aggression doubles the strength bonus over that for the Bridle Setting of Fortitude, adds an attack duration bonus, and also adds a physical/tactical mastery bonus. This is a major upgrade (expensive, but now I see why).

Bridle Setting of Aggression:

• +606 Physical and Tactical Mastery
• +10 War-steed strength
• -15% Attack Duration

Bridle Setting of Savvy

• +606 Physical & Tactical Mastery
• +168 in-Combat War-steed Endurance Regen
• +5 meter max distance of ranged skills

Bridle Setting of Clout 

• +606 Physical & Tactical Mastery
• +400 Maximum War-steed Endurance
• +10 War-steed strength

Bridle Gem of Acumen

• +606 Critical Rating
• +25% Critical Multiplier
• -15% War-steed Power Cost

Bridle Gem of Haste

• +606 Critical Rating
• +10 War-steed Agility
• +141 in-combat War-steed Power Regen

Bridle Gem of Alacrity 

• +606 Critical Rating
• +330 Maximum War-steed Power
• +10 War-steed Agility

Bridle Rune of Tenacity

• +303 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +360 Resistance Rating
• +455 Physical and Tactical Mitigation

Bridle Rune of Perseverance

• +303 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +250 War-steed Evade Rating
• +2 War-steed Acceleration Rate

Bridle Rune of Protection     

• +303 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +200 War-steed Armour
• +2 War-steed Turn Rate

 

Singular

These relics are upgrades over the unique relics. They cost twice as many shards to construct and require Tier 9 relics.

Bridle Eastemnet Setting of Aggression

• +646 Physical and Tactical Mastery
• +20 War-steed strength
• -15% Attack Duration

Bridle Eastemnet Setting of Savvy

• +646 Physical and Tactical Mastery
• +184.5 in-Combat War-steed Endurance Regen
• +5m Max distance of ranged skills

Bridle Eastemnet Setting of Clout 

• +646 Physical and Tactical Mastery
• +20 War-steed strength
• +600 Maximum War-steed Endurance

Bridle Eastemnet Gem of Acumen

• +646 Critical Rating
• +25% Critical Multiplier
• -15% War-steed Power Cost

Bridle Eastemnet Gem of Haste

• +646 Critical Rating
• +20 War-steed Agility
• +154.5 in-Combat War-steed Endurance Regen

Bridle Eastemnet Gem of Alacrity

• +646 Critical Rating
• +20 War-steed Agility
• +495 Maximum War-steed Power

Bridle Eastemnet Rune of Tenacity

• +323 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +384 Resistance Rating
• +485 Physical and Tactical Mitigation

Bridle Eastemnet Rune of Perseverance

• +323 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +375 War-steed Evade Rating
• +4 War-steed Acceleration Rate

Bridle Eastemnet Rune of Protection

• +323 Block, Parry, and Evade
• +300 War-steed Armour
• +4 War-steed Turn Rate

 

Star-Lit Crystals

While not a relic, there is still one item we did not discuss: Star-Lit Crystals. For each crystal that you add to a bridle, the attributes of the bridle are increased as if the equip level were increased by one (if does not affect the actual level required to equip it, though). Therefore, the only two effects I expect are an increase in the Fury Bonus Contribution Rating as well as the Benevolence Healing Rating Bonus (a major legacy). Since I am not heavy into Fury and I am not using a heavy steed, I have little incentive to place any crystals I get onto a bridle.

May your shield protect you and your spear never break,

Pineleaf Needles